


Cheater

by https_fern



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-21
Updated: 2018-04-14
Packaged: 2019-04-06 05:31:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 19,647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14049972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/https_fern/pseuds/https_fern
Summary: Cheat-er [noun]: One who betrays someone they love.There's a tenuous line  sepparating the  one person we love to the person we think we love. Breaking it is your choice and consequence, but when the person you really love isn't the one who's by your side, is it worth it?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> omg I am dying over here as I write this note. This is my first smut ever and to have it in my first Dylan fanfic ever is nerve-wrecking! I'd like to thank my friend Lê for keeping me company and supporting me when all I wanted was to give up on the smut and just call it a day. Also my besties, who read the smut part and said it was cool. If you don't like it, you can blame them, please. Anyway... please please tell me what you think about it and... Enjoy x

The glow coming from the blinds illuminated the room faintly, undisturbing the two bodies splayed over the bed in a tangled mess of limbs and sheets, the rise and fall of their chests showing their sleepiness state. It had been one of those nights, where a lot of tequila, music and lust were involved, intoxicating everyone's minds as they made their best to act cool about it all, forget there was any desire lingering. But, of course, things had slipped out of control and that was how Andie ended up spending the night away one more time, her body pressed between the tall brunet's one and the silky touch of the bed, her thoughts running wild as he pleased her in ways only he knew.

It was a selfish feeling for both of them, something incredibly wrong and even though they knew it, they couldn't stop it; it was like a drug running through their systems and each time needing higher doses to feel satisfied. Maybe that was why their encounters never seemed to stop. In some twisted way, they needed each other more than the contained smiles and hidden touches.

That morning had started like any other after a night full of drinks, a throbbing pain radiating from Andie's head, her arms feeling too heavy to reach out for anything to sooth it. She was very aware of where she was, a strong pair of arms secluded around her and a smile fought its way to her lips. His breath hitting the back of her neck was sending chills down her body, amplifying the butterflies in her stomach, that always seemed to appear whenever they were together. It was a funny feeling, fuzzy and warm, something Andie had never felt before, something that always made her look forwards to the moments she would have with him, even if briefly.

The woman turned in the bed, slowly and carefully enough to not wake the sleeping man beside her, just taking that moment to admire him; the rise and fall of his bare chest, brushing against hers slightly, the way his lips parted from each other a little bit and his eyelids trembled. There were moles scattered around his face, falling down to his neck, dotting his beautiful skin with unknown patterns, matching his dark brown hair falling against his forehead. Dylan looked so peaceful that Andie would never have the heart to wake him up, even if she really needed to move.

And while she admired every little detail of his face, paying attention to the tiniest details, she failed to realize that his eyes had opened just a little bit, but enough for him to see her eyes scanning over his face with something that bordered adoration and he had to fight the urge to smile at the girl. She seemed so focused on memorizing his features and Dylan couldn't help but find it endearing, having done it several times before. It was his way of coping with the idea of not having her around, reminding himself of every little change of tone in her skin, every small freckle that adorned her face whenever she had spent too much time under the sun.

"What are you doing?" he mumbled, his eyes shutting close as he felt her hands slip through his hair, tugging at the roots when she heard his hoarse voice in the silent room.

"Nothing," she smiled, her whisper matching his tone, making him open his eyes and grin lovely at her. "You just looked so comfortable."

Dylan shook his head and tightened his hold on the girl's waist, pulling her even closer to him, his eyes looking directly into hers, their lips barely touching. There was something sensual about the way they always woke up next to each other, with tangled limbs and the memories of the previous night, but this time it seemed something more personal, closer to the heart than anything else. Maybe it was the way Andie had one of her hands pressed against his chest, feeling the rapid beat of his heart, while the other one was locked on his hair and Dylan had his eyes trained on hers, his hands tracing patternless figures on her exposed skin. There wasn't any attempt of ripping clothes off their bodies or hungry kisses. It was just the two of them enjoying each other's presence in that chilly morning.

"How long do we have?" Dylan mumbled, his tone lazy as he tried to wake up fully. They didn't have much time, so every minute counted.

Andie reached back blindly, her hand searching for her phone on the nightstand, retrieving the device and checking the time. There were a couple of notifications flooding the screen, messages asking if she was going to be late to whatever she had to do later on and a reminder telling her to be at the airport at 2pm. She sighed lying back on the bed, already dreading the rest of her busy day, thinking of ways to escape it all, but there was no way. The white numbers on her phone showed that she had less than 2 hours to get herself ready and out of there.

Dylan furrowed his brows at the girl's reaction, his hand reaching for hers and gently getting the phone out of it, seeing all the messages she had and the little time they had together, understanding her reaction and slightly grimacing. He wasn't ready to get back to the real world, somewhere that seemed cold and grey.

"Not enough," she shrugged, her eyes falling back to Dylan's, her hand inching forwards and running it through his hair once more. "But we can work with it."

A small smile played on his lips. He was so helplessly falling harder and harder for that girl that every little thing coming from her was enough to make him swoon. And if she said there could be a way for the two of them to spend those two hours together, then he'd make it work, because there was no way he'd let her go sooner than what she was intended to.

And maybe there was a time where everything felt easier and simpler, when the days hadn't to be spent in the hide and their feelings didn't have to be kept on the down low, but everything had changed since them; they had outgrown those light moments, forced to play the adult's game almost illegally, but maybe that was how things were supposed to be with them, maybe that's what you're supposed to do when you're involved in a dangerous yet sincere relationship. But that was a thought to another day. For now, all they had to do was neglect what was to follow and spend their time together as if they had nothing to lose.

The first one to move out of the bed was Dylan, his bare feet hitting the cold floor making him hiss slightly at it, his body shivering up as it grew used to the slight colder temperature in the room. He was so sure he had closed all the windows before going to bed the previous night, but thinking about it with a clear mind, there wasn't much time to do it in the meantime he had between entering his living room and tumble his way down to the bedroom, his focus set on Andie and her lips attacking his neck while he tried to maneuver his way through the black corridor without ending up hurting any of them.

From her position in bed, Andie watched him, her eyes trained on his back, admiring the way his muscles contorted his torso perfectly, stretching as he walked around the room, his bum out for her private show and she stared unashamedly, grinning to herself when she saw the light red marks on it.

"Stop staring," Dylan mused from his side, his back still turned to her as he looked around the room for the clothes he was wearing the previous night.

Andie chuckled and hummed, a small whistle coming from her as she rolled over the bed, wrapping herself in the duvet, only her head out. Even when she had a busy day ahead of her, she would take her time after waking up, rolling around the bed pretending she didn't have much of a life outside the four walls of the room, something Dylan had been used to by that point.

"It's a great view," she mumbled, her head now facing the ceiling as her back pressed against the mattress.

Dylan looked over his shoulder, seeing the woman rolled up in layers of his duvet and shook his head. There was not a day that he wouldn't find this situation funny with only her eyes peeking out from the fabric and her hair splayed over the bed, like she was trying to protect herself from whatever troubles that were in the world instead of just getting up and getting ready. He loved the way her eyes always seemed to be shining in those small moments, roaming around the place, trying to detect if she was in any danger while she lied completely curled up and enveloped, leaving her at his mercy.

"Oh yeah?" he made his way towards her, his eyes squinted as he watched her wiggling her way out of the cocoon she had made for herself. "I would have never guessed."

He was too close now, she thought to herself, and she was nowhere near to be free from the mess of tangled sheets and duvet she had made around herself. Knowing Dylan, she knew he'd take it to his advantage, be it throw her over his shoulders and take her somewhere or just tickle her, like he had done countless times before. Either way, she didn't want any of those things to happen, but what could be done when he was hovering over her and she had just one of her arms free?

"Don't you dare," she threatened when his face was right over hers, his lips turned into a smirk and his eyes scanning over her face. She was faintly aware of his arms muscles bulging, supporting his weight in this current position, but she couldn't admire it for long; he looked like he was about to torture her in some way and she didn't like it at all.

"Or what?" he whispered, his face too close to hers now, preventing her from seeing what else he was up to.

But her mind was blank for words and actions. All she could think about was they way he was looking at her, as if a predator had finally trapped its prey and was about to pounce on it. And she waited, anticipating he was going to be the one to make the first move and looking forward to it. Her lips were tingling, her breath labored and her pupils widened as his head leveled up to hers, their noses almost touching, her free arm working fast to loosen the covers around her. And in one swift movement, his lips were on hers, calm and tentatively at first, enjoying the feeling she caused on him.

Andie closed her eyes in content, her only free arm running through his hair, pulling at the roots roughly. She wasn't interested in gentle touches or tender kisses, at least not for the moment, but Dylan pulled away from her, his tongue running over his lips as he stared her down, her hand still tangled in his chocolate locks, her eyes partially closed and her cheeks tinted in a faint red. It was no surprise that a single kiss could have such an impact on her and he loved it more than it should and he would give anything to be able to do it everyday for the rest of his days.

Before she could react of any form, Dylan dipped his head down again, initiating another kiss, hungrier this time, his chapped lips smoldering against her soft ones, causing goosebumps to spread over her skin, anticipation overwhelming her body completely, something that didn't go unnoticed by him. He loved how well his advances were working on her.

Somehow, Andie had finally freed herself from the mess she had made around her, her body fully exposed and receiving all the heat coming from Dylan's. She could properly feel him pressed against her, their chests touching entirely, free of clothes. It felt like her body would combust just by his touch and one look could send her into a frenzy state for Dylan had her squirming in place without breaking a sweat.

His lips parted from hers, making their way past her chin to her neck, suckling on the skin there, ever so careful to not leave any mark. One of his hand roamed through her body, grazing her skin on its way down.

He pulled away from her, appreciating the way she looked, her hair in a tangled mess played over the pillow, her plump lips in a pout, the rise and fall of her chest, the troubled breathing. Everything about her made him want nothing more than to just give her what she wanted. He had never felt that way before and he understood why; it was supposed to be her. It was always Andie and he had fought this feeling for too long.

Dylan watched as the woman under him opened her brown eyes, her tongue wetting her lips as she stared at him trying to hold back a smile, her features in slight confusion as she wondered why he had stopped. She could see his dilated pupils, flooding lust as he hovered over her, his hand stopped close to where she wanted him the most and yet there he was, motionless staring her down. For a moment, she thought he was gonna say it. Andie could clearly see the three words slipping out of his mouth and as much as she wanted to hear it, she felt like she could die.

Instead, she pulled his face back to hers, conveying all her feelings in a messy kiss. She couldn't say it, but she needed to let him know how she felt. And he accepted it, accepted it all while letting her know that he felt the same way. His tongue poked her lower lip, asking for something it didn't even need to and once her lips opened, his tongue meeting hers and exploring every little inch of her mouth, Andie moaned contently, letting him dominate her all over.

His hand slid down her leg, parting her thighs, his fingertip brushing against her clit slightly, causing a jolt of electricity run through her body and Dylan smirked. Expertly, he ran his finger through her folds and back to the bud of nerves, savoring the whimper coming from Andie. He kissed down her body, nibbling her right boob on his way.

Andie opened her eyes in time to see the mole-covered man kiss her hip bone tenderly, a softness she knew he wasn't going to keep for much longer, and throw a smirk before lowering his head, his breath hitting her warmth causing her to close her eyes and wait in anticipation. The moment his lips circled her clit, Andie released a breathy moan, her whole body igniting and catching fire. His lips sucked on the bud mercilessly, evoking profanities out of the girl, and his tongue lapped her folds, teasing her entrance before moving away.

Andie felt her whole body shudder when he added his fingers to the equation. The rapid movements, the curling of his finger reaching her g-spot perfectly, her back arching off the bed. And she wondered how she could ever have lived without having any of those feelings, without having Dylan to please her so intensely that just one look could send her over the edge.

"Talk to me, baby," Dylan rasped out suddenly, the vibration of his voice resonating through her, adding to the thrill she was feeling. It only caused her to moan once more, a sly smirk appearing on Dylan's face as he scissored his fingers inside her, her walls closing around them, tighter each time.

"Dyl..." she managed to breath out, her eyes shut close. "Right there."

Dylan increased his movements, his fingers sliding in and out of Andie at ease, the sound of her raggedy breath and moans serving as his fuel. With one last flicker of his tongue over her clit and curl of his finger, Y//N finally felt something snap inside of her, spreading a wave of pure bliss washing over her body as the only thing that escaped her lips was Dylan's name as he watched everything in amazement. Every little change in her expression made him grow harder, every small breath, every moan, every time she said his name he was enticed.

Andie opened her eyes only to see Dylan's face hovering hers again, her juices still on his face and a lopsided smile adorning his lips. All she wanted was to kiss him and that's what she did, despite everything, feeling her taste on his tongue as she nibbled on his lower lip.

"Think you can do that again?" he winked when they pulled away, his caramel eyes dancing on her face.

The woman just chuckled and pulled him in again, her hands lacing through his hair as she rested his forehead against hers. "What are you waiting for?"

Dylan smiled at her, his whole body getting ready. Carefully, he reached between them, aligning his cock with her entrance, running his length through her wet folds. Andie shuddered, her clit still sensitive, as he teased her pussy before finally sliding in with ease, finding home deep inside of her and feeling her to the brim, his eyes closed as he relished in the feeling of her warm cunt around his member.

Slowly, he started moving, pulling all the way out before slamming back into her, his cock pistoning inside of her, reaching deeper with every thrust.

"Faster," she pleaded in a low voice, her breath beginning to sound labored, the aftermath of her last orgasm taking a toll. Dylan complied, his hips increasing speed, slamming into her forcefully as he stretched her walls around him.

Andie's nails raked down his back unashamedly, completely neglecting that they were going to be there the following days, but her mind was elsewhere. For all she cared about, everyone could find out about them.

Dylan gripped her legs, pulling her to the edge of the bed, one of his feet plating on the floor, giving him more balance. If she thought his pace was perfect then, now she couldn't contain herself as he thrusted in and out of her faster and harder, her tits bouncing and her moans coming out of her mouth like a prayer as his tip tapped her g-spot, his girth filling her completely.

The sound of skin on skin filled the room, their sweaty bodies glistening in the sunlight coming from the window. Andie was so close she could almost feel it, all it would take was a little push and she'd dive into the abyss. Before she could do anything, Dylan reached between them, his hand pressing figures eight on her clit, his pace a little erratic.

"Just cum for me, babe," he mumbled, his voice hoarse and low, his eyes staring at her as he tried his best to hold his release down and waited for her.

And just like that, as if she only needed to hear his voice telling her it was ok to let go, Andie felt the knot in her stomach snap once more, more intense this time, sheer pleasure washing over her, colors dancing behind her eyelids as she raised into great heights, her toes curling into her feet.

The sight of the woman beneath her, her wet skin and orgasmic face was too much and Dylan followed suit, his thrusts slowing down as her walls constricted around him, milking his orgams as he shot his load inside of her, his head tilting forwards and leaning against her shoulder before crumbling down my her side, his arms still wrapped around her shorter frame.

"I could get used to it," Andie heard Dylan say in a soft voice, his eyes still closed, but his chest still pressed to her back. She hummed questioning his words and turned her head to him, admiring the way his Adam's apple bobbed up and down as he talked to her. "To this, waking up next to you and spending the whole morning like this."

"You mean the sex," Andie teased turning in her place, her front to his. She watched as he shrugged at her answer and nodded and slapped his chest jokingly.

"Hey, you're the one who said it," he joked back and pulled her closer, kissing the tip of her nose and nuzzling his head on the crook of her neck. "But it's more than that," he mumbled. "It's you and I spending all the time together. It's going to sleep with you by my side and wake up with you still there."

Andie smiled at him, a single dimple showing on her left cheek. She wanted all of that too. She wanted to be the first and last person to see him each day. She wanted to wake up every single day with him next to her, his broad chest pressed against her back or her head, using the soft beats of his heart as a lullaby. But for now, she was happy with what she could have, even if it wasn't ideal. She knew that one day she'd be able to have him all for herself and when that day came, she'd never let him go.

* * *

 

Andie didn't know how long she spent sitting in her car in the airport's parking lot, just contemplating everything that had happened so far. That morning seemed like million years before and yet she couldn't shake off the feeling that overpowered her as soon as she stepped out of Dylan's house, her head ducked in case there was anyone watching.

She remembered the first time they had met, all the way back to the first season of Teen Wolf, when everything was so much simpler, when there wasn't this imminent fear of crushing everyone's life, when the two of them would just laugh at each other's antics and spend time in the most harmless way possible, talking nonsense and messing around with everyone, just like kids in school.

And each day seemed like Andie saw him in a new light, his boyish persona making way through her mind and heart only to claim it as his, even if he didn't know about it. Each new day brought a new wave of warmth and confusion within her, because it was the same Dylan she had befriended when they first met; it was the same boy she had grown so close that he knew her deepest secrets, the same one who constantly pestered her about everything. How was it possible that she was feeling like she had never truly seen him, with those mesmerizing golden-brown eyes and beautiful moles adorning his face, his pearly-white teeth hidden behind his thin yet so-very-kissable lips?

And she didn't know exactly how it developed from what she deemed as a crush to a full-blown feeling. Maybe it was the way he always seemed to make her smile, even when he wasn't actually trying, or how he was always around and declared she was one of the best things to ever happen to him. Yet, she didn't know what hit her until it was too late.

And this time she remembered well, having Dylan opening the door to his apartment one day, the same day she had chosen to act upon telling him how she was starting to feel, and seeing him smiling, but this time wasn't solely because of her. It had something to do with the blonde girl behind him, her hair messy and her body dressed in an oversized t-shirt that Andie knew fully well that belonged to the man in front of her. Of course. Someone like him wouldn't be alone for too long. He was far too good looking, too amazing and too much of a good person to be single for too long.

And despite this sudden heartache, something she didn't know she would feel over him, she knew she needed to move on and get over it. The fact that Dylan now had a girlfriend couldn't be in the way of their friendship or her feelings towards him. And while it was hard, she found herself willing to move on, even if she wanted to hate Brit's gut. But what was her fault in that? She was just a girl who met a guy, fell in love and let her feelings be known, unlike Andie.

It was hard, but she did it. She moved on with her life, fell in love again and lived happily until three years before. Because, somehow, she found out she hadn't completely gotten over Dylan and found it out in the most horrible way possible.

It was a his birthday party, for starters, so of course everyone was trying their best to have the time of their lives. And even in her tipsy state, Andie was aware of Dylan standing in the far corner of the living room, his glazed eyes focusing on her a little too much as she filled her cup with more blueberry flavored vodka. His erratic moves led him to her, a drunk smile plastered on his face as he threw his arm around her shoulders rather forcefully, making her lose her balance and spill some of her drink on the table, both of them laughing it off, their minds intoxicated already.

From this rather innocent interaction, everything went wrong, because not even ten minutes later they had successfully sneaked out of the party into one of the bedrooms only to be back a long while after, none of them in their right mind to thank about what had really happened.

Thinking about it now, made Andie realize how long she has been living this horrible life. If Dylan was already single by then, she was not and three years later, nothing else had changed. Maybe except the fact that she was, for sure, in love with someone that was not her boyfriend.

Shaking her head, Andie made it out of the parking lot, her feet hitting hard against the pavement as she almost ran into the building in front of her. Her life was a mess, her feelings were all over the place and yet she had to be there, ready, waiting for him as if nothing was going on. As much as she would like to just call it off and be with Dylan rightfully, it wasn't that easy. She had lost count of how many times she tried to bring it up. Every time he was away, she worked up the courage to put an end to them once he came back, but every time he came back, she lost all her resolve just looking into those warm and sweet chocolate eyes. It was a lost cause, she always thought. Because for as much as she wasn't in love with him, she loved him and she didn't want to hurt him in any way, even if she was already doing it. But if he didn't know, how much could it hurt, right?

And while Andie was immersed in all her thoughts, she missed the happy grin and bright eyes coming in her direction, his hands letting go of the luggage he was carrying as his arms encircled around her smaller frame, startling her a bit.

"It's just me, babe," he said with a small laugh, the sound instantly coming to recognition in Andie's brain, her body going rigid at first to relax a second later.

Forgetting everything that she had on her mind, a sincere smile made way to her lips as she turned into his arms, her face beaming in happiness as she looked at him. Yes, maybe she was a son of a bitch girlfriend who didn't deserve him, but she couldn't deny that he made her happy. Maybe not in the way Dylan did, but Tyler was a close second in her heart.

"I'm sorry," she shook her head, her arms closing around his neck as she stood on her tiptoes to plant a peck on his lips. "I was thinking about something else."

Tyler shook his head and pulled her closer to him, his forehead touching hers, staring into her eyes for a few moments before leaning in and kissing her properly, his lips enveloping hers in the most sweet maner, savoring her plumping lips in a way he wasn't able to in the last month.

Andie smiled a bit into the kiss and cut it short with a few pecks, suddenly aware of where they were in a public space and even if she was the pda kind of girl, she didn't like it when people stared them down for doing something as silly as kissing.

"I missed you," he mumbled, his eyes still closed.

Those words worked as a wake up call in her mind. Her reality was this one, with Tyler holding her in his arms and telling her he had missed her, not whatever fairytale her mind had created with Dylan. It was hard to process and hard to accept it, but maybe she had gone wrong for so long that she couldn't exactly see what was the right side anymore and it was bad. She had to get a grip on her life and admit to herself that this was her life.

"I missed you too," she hear herself saying, no empty words leaving her mouth. She really had missed him. Tyler had been in her life as long as Dylan had. The three of them had bonded so strongly that it was almost impossible to see one without the other two whenever they were on set, so of course Andie had missed being around Tyler, despite everything.

Intertwining her hand in his, they made their way out of the airport, thankfully without being noticed by anyone, making their way to the comfort of their home where the both of them could enjoy their time together. And just like any other time, the both of them thought of nothing else rather than having a quiet night in watching movies while catching up. Despite what everyone thought about their relationship, they didn't need to get physical to have a good time.

"So, we're having take out for tonight?" Tyler asked as he sat on the sofa, his arms spreading over the back of it as he waited for Andie to join him. His luggage were already left in their room and he had changed into more comfortable clothes. It was nights like these that they liked the most: just the two of them, sitting comfortably in their living room watching meaningless movies. The trashier it looked, the better. Ever since the time they marathoned Sharknado, the movies regarding sharks had been their favorite, and there was an infinity of it.

"What do you mean take out?" Andie plopped down beside him tucking her legs under her body before leaning on his side. "I thought I was gonna cook," her hand reached for the remote, readying herself to press play when she heard Tyler's laugh reach her ears, his whole body shaking beside her as he threw his head back, laughter coming from him unashamedly.

It wasn't long before there was a knock on the door, Andie rushing to open it as she laughed away at whatever Tyler was trying to tease her about. She knew she wasn't the best cook, but there was an handful amount of dishes she could do well and he never had complained about it. He was just trying to be funny. But when the woman looked at the door, her laugh died down, her heart beating fastly and her hands sweating. It was the signs of the anticipation she felt whenever she met the man at the door, with his stupid beautiful smile and his outrageous bright whiskey-colored eyes.

She felt the wind knocked out of her chest, her eyes wide open as she stared at the man she had left in the morning with resistance. She knew he would be there, he told her, but even then she was not prepared for seeing him so soon again. All her feelings came tumbling down again, hitting her with full force as she stared at Dylan, his smile never leaving his face as he looked at her, dumbstruck, in the doorway. Had it been the other way around, his reaction would be the same one. She was too beautiful to ever get used to it.

"Who is it?" Tyler shouted from the living room, his head stretching back trying to see what was taking his girlfriend so long to go back to him.

That was broke Andie's stare, the sound of her boyfriend remind her that he was in there and that all her thoughts and actions were wrong, so very wrong. She shook her head, a small chuckle leaving her lips as she played it cool and stepped out of the way, letting Dylan in and closing the door behind him. Here went the performance of her life.

* * *

They, indeed, ended up having takeout, but only because it seemed easier and less messy, Andie had reassured both boys, who ended up laughing at her attempts, and the night had been spent with laughters filling the house and stories being told from all the sides. Tyler seemed to have a lot of things to tell both his girlfriend and his best friend, always ending a story with a new one already in mind.

And Andie couldn't be happier about it. She loved when Tyler got into his own little world and told them everything that had happened to him; it made her feel slightly better for lying at him. Well, not better per say, but she was glad he was having a good time doing what he loved the most.

But, of course, not everything was going as smoothly as she wanted. She still could feel Dylan's stare lingering a bit long on her, she felt his hand inch closer to her each time and, most definitely, she could see the way his eyes were focused way too much on her whenever she was talking, his irises tracing the shape of her lips, his tongue wetting his own lips. All in all, she was having a hard day trying to cope with everything. Andie needed a break and found one when they had already ate everything there was on the table, leaving the dessert she had made - much to everyone's joy - the only thing to be missing to complete that somewhat perfect day.

The kitchen was completely silent. There were dishes pilling over one another in the sink and a few pizzas box over the counter, but other than that, everything seemed undisturbed. Andie could hear the faint laugh and voices of Dylan and Tyler in the other room and sighed, her hands holding her body on the granite as she lowered her head and closed her eyes in an idle attempt of relaxing for the next part of her act.

She felt a pair of arms slid around her waist and jumped in her place, turning around almost instantly and coming face to face with Dylan, his hands holding her down, his head so close to hers that she could feel his breath fanning over her face. His eyes shone in the afternoon light coming through the window in top of the counter, giving it a beautiful golden shade. Andie couldn't stop staring at him, a smile already forming on her lips as she looked all over him, from the messed up hair from running his hands through it the whole day to the grey t-shirt hugging his torso and the jeans fitting his body just perfectly. He was a sight to sore eyes and she had to control herself to not let go of every restraint and just jump on him.

With a small sigh, Andie leaned her head against his chest, listening to the steady beats of his heart, enjoying any small touch they could share. Her mind had freed itself from all her problems, from her job, from Tyler. His presence was enough to send her to a parallel world, somewhere there was only the two of them and nothing else. It felt safe, despite the situation.

"We're so going to hell," she mumbled against him, her words sounding muffled by the fabric of his t-shirt.

Dylan chuckled lightly, the sound reverberating through his chest and Andie, his arms holding her tight to his body as if he could lose her at any given second. And he could, because she wasn't exactly his. It pained him to know that that same night, he wouldn't be the one holding her in his arms as they went to bed, it wouldn't be him the one waking up next to her the following morning and it wouldn't be him the one to be there if she needed any help. He was tired of it, tired of hiding all the feelings he had for her, tired of lying to his best friend, tired of being a shitty person. He had never stabbed someone on the back like he was doing to Tyler right now, but at the same time, it was just so hard to stop. He was helplessly in love with the girl standing in front of him and there wasn't anything he wouldn't do for her.

"At least we'll be together there," he said with a small sigh, his hands running up and down her back, his chin supported over her head.

Andie's head moved from under his, slightly tilting back and looking clearly at him for the first time that night and she felt her knees going weak. There wasn't a moment that went by that she wasn't struck by his looks. More than the obvious beauty to him, there was something else that made it all more enjoyable; maybe it was all the time she had spent with him, all the memories they had made together and all the laughs they had shared. She knew who he truly was and she could see it pained him to be acting behind his best friend's back for the past few years. And she knew she was the one who had to put an end to it either way.

"Have you ever thought about it?" she heard him saying and frowned. Had he been saying anything else before that? She had been too lost in her thoughts and his face to pay attention to anything else.

"Hm?"

"Us," he smiled. "As in us together for real."

Andie exasperated heavily, her head turning to the floor and her whole body inching away from his. It wasn't the kind of conversation to be having at that minute. She had to worry about dealing with her feelings for Tyler and then that kind of stuff. It was too much for her brain to process.

"Dyl..."

"No," he said holding her arms, pulling her closer to him again. "Just think about it, Andie. It would be just the two of us, without having to worry about anything else. We could be a real couple. No more hiding, no more hurting anyone, no more feeling guilty."

"But we would, right?" she shook her head, trying to make him see her point desperately. "Because we would be admitting to him something we've been doing for a long while now. Can't you imagine how he would feel? To find out his best friend and girlfriend had been having an affair?"

"So you want to end this?" he finally said, his eyes looking at her intently, trying to understand everything she was saying, but failing. He had been so sure what they had to do and yet she had been beating around the bush for so long that it seemed like she was just trying to make excuses instead of dealing with the truth.

"Of course not," Andie's eyes widened, her hands latching to his tightly. She knew she was sounding like it, but that wasn't what she wanted. She wanted to have courage enough to walk up to Tyler and tell him everything. She wanted to tell him she was really sorry for all the pain she would put him through and she wanted to say that she did love him, but it wasn't enough anymore. And she wanted to tell Dylan that she did want all of those things, but it wasn't easy. She was being a coward and feeling like both of them were slipping through her fingers. "I want to be with you more than anything, it's just that it's not easy, Dylan."

And as if on cue, before any of them could do or say anything, they heard someone walking up to the kitchen, and it could only be Tyler. His whistle was echoing around the walls of the living room, his light steps and carefree demeanor making way through the doorway weren't sign enough to make Dylan and Andie pull each other away in time, their breaths a bit erratic due to almost being caught on action.

Tyler stood there, his eyes running from one to the other, looking at them so close to each other.

"Did you know your girlfriend's the best?" Dylan asked with a lopsided smile, his arm circling around the girl's shoulders as he laughed off at Tyler, his eyes set on his best friend as he made his way to the two of them, his head shaking from one side to the other. "You mind end up losing her," he completed with a wink.

There was an edge to Dylan's tone, a small threat in the air that Tyler hadn't understood as his laugh echoed around the kitchen, Andie's eyes running from one man to the other, her breath a bit labored as her heart tried to go back to its regular pace. They had been too close to screw everything up for being so reckless. Tyler wasn't naive, just someone who believed his best friend and girlfriend had a really good relationship for all the times they had to be together, all the months he was away for his job leaving the two of them to bound and maintain a healthy friendship. If he only knew...

Andie stepped away from the counter, her legs still trembling a little bit from the adrenaline running through her system, and grabbed the tray by the table, praying her hands weren't as shaken, and made her way to the backyard without looking back, her mind running wild with all the 'what ifs' Dylan had planted in there, but things weren't as easy as they seemed; Her relationship with Tyler wasn't the same, she knew that and was pretty sure that he was aware of it too, but she couldn't throw away all the years they had spent together, all the things they had accomplished together, all the shared moments and everything that one represented to the other. On the other hand, there was no passion between them, no heat. What was left was a little flicker of hope, the dying flame of a candle that once burned bright and hot, but that now struggled to be alight. She loved him, but it wasn't the same and it wasn't enough. Andie loved Tyler, only it had died down to a platonic feeling. There wasn't a romantic sentiment from her anymore, at least not towards him.

Even so, it was hard. There was so much at stake at the moment and she knew that Dylan reciprocated whatever feelings she had for him, in the same intensity, but was letting go of a lifetime of companionship worth of it all?

But maybe she had seen everything in the wrong way. Because if Tyler felt like their relationship had gone down the drain and was clinging to it desperately, why was he walking up to her with a smile from ear to ear, leaping as he walked, and taking the tray from her hands and placing it on the table before taking her hands in his? And why was Dylan walking out of the kitchen like he had just been punched in the stomach?

Her questions kept running through her mind, trying to find an answer for everything and she was so lost to it that she didn't notice when Dylan looked at her with a deep sadness in his eyes while he tried to smile. She didn't notice Tyler letting go of one of her hands and reaching into his pocket before getting down on one knee. She didn't see when he opened the small box and showed it to her.

What brought her back, was the tug he gave on her arm, her head snapping back to reality as he looked into her eyes.

"Andie," he started, his voice catching in the back of his throat. "I know we haven't exactly talked about it, but I know how you feel towards marriage and I know you want to settle down and have kids," he smiled. "And I realized I want all of that too. I want to have a family with you, I want to see them grow up with you and I want to grow old with you. I want to be there for you every step you take, every new challenge we might have. I want to be with you for the rest of my life," his smile now was bigger than ever before and Andie could only stare at him speechless. How could she ever react to it? She wasn't expecting any of it. "Will you marry me?" he finally asked, his eyes fixed on her as he waited for her answer.

Andie wanted to scream and pull her hand away. She wanted to tell him that she loved him, but not in the same way he loved her. But as she looked at him and saw how confident he seemed, how happy he looked, how could she have the heart to say no to him in front of his best friend?

And then, with a heavy heart, she smiled down at him and nodded, not trusting her voice at the moment. 


	2. Part 2

There are moments in time that a simple decision is going to affect not only your life, but everyone’s around you as well, even if very slightly. Not that it was Y/N’s case, of course. Because her decision had caused a huge impact on a lot of people’s lives, but mostly important, it changed everything to the two people she didn’t want to cause any trouble.

Tyler, for starters, had changed from being an amazing boyfriend to an over the clouds fiancé. It was like he couldn’t stop smiling and tried his best to make Y/N happier than she had ever been and although he thought he was succeeding, there was no way of him knowing it was only making everything harder for her, not because what he was doing wasn’t enough, but there was another part involved in that relationship that Tyler wasn’t aware of.

Dylan had been avoiding her for the past three months as much as he could. Of course it wasn’t easy, considering they had too many mutual friends and that he was, oh the irony, the best man. How could he not be? Tyler had been his best friend for as far as they could remember and saying no to him would not only be weird, but he didn’t have an excuse to not do it without raising any suspicion. So he did it, with a heavy heart, he accepted it, but didn’t think she was going to say yes and tear his heart apart like she had done.

He remembered how everything had started, that untoward day he wanted so desperately to forget, with him having the most perfect day up until the moment he walked into that kitchen and saw Y/N leaning on the counter, her eyes closed as her hair fell as curtains around it, hiding her eyes from his sight. He knew he shouldn’t have walked up to her and stood so close, but there was nothing he could do about it; there was always a force, way stronger than him, compelling the man to just circle his arms around her and hold her close to him, like his life depended on it, despite Tyler being just down the hallway. It was risky, but he didn’t care. All Dylan wanted was to have that woman in his arms one more time that day, even if it meant risking being caught. To be honest, there were times he wanted it to happen, he wanted everyone to know they were together, but it wouldn’t be fair. It wouldn’t be fair on his best friend, who trusted him so blindly that would never believe he was able of doing something so atrocious to their friendship. It wasn’t fair on Y/N because it would damage her as well. He wanted to be with her, but not put her trust on him on game.

And being so, he pulled away from her when they heard Tyler coming into the kitchen, doing his best to play it cool and act as if nothing had happened. They had been friends for years, they had that on their side and it was enough for Dylan to joke and completely throw every suspicion off. What he didn’t expect, however, was what was about to happen. The mole-covered man stared off in distance as Y/N walked away from them, her hands firmly gripping the dessert tray, her legs rushing her out of the room as fast as they could before he felt a hand against his shoulder, his body going stiff in the same moment, fear coursing through his veins as he side-eyed Tyler.

“So,” he hear his friend sigh deeply before continuing whatever it was that he wanted to say. Tyler took a long pause and Dylan felt like his heart was going to burst. “I’m glad you brought it up, man.”

“Brought what up?”

“Someone trying to steal her away from me,” the latino man said with a chuckle. “I’m gonna do something about it.”

And before Dylan could say anything, before he could think of any excuse to justify his actions, Tyler reached behind himself, pulled a small velvet box and opened it, a grin on his face as he looked at his best friend and waited for his reaction.

Dylan felt his heart hammering against his ribcage, cause it couldn’t be it, right? He was imagining things and there was not an engagement ring inside that box. It was the only explanation, because he had front seats and had been watching Y/N and Tyler’s relationship crumble down. He knew that a great deal of it was because of him, but it wasn’t entirely his fault. Tyler and Y/N just weren’t meant to be. Yet, there stood his best friend waiting for him to say something, anything at all, and all he could think of was screaming.

“Wow,” Dylan limited himself to say. “I mean, wow, man. This is a huge step you’re about to take. You’re sure about it?”

“Yeah, bro,” Tyler said closing the box and looking back at the mole-covered man in front of him. To be honest, he was a little bit disappointed. He expected Dylan to have a reaction bigger than this, to joke about it and say something along the lines of accepting marrying him when he showed the ring, but all Tyler could see was a flabbergasted expression on his best friend’s face, something he didn’t want to happen. Was he not happy? Didn’t he think they were ready to take that step? Didn’t he want his two best friends to be happy? “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong,” Dylan said quickly, forcing his lips to turn into a grin. He was thanking the universe for being an actor at that moment, because God only knew how hard it was to smile when you knew your best friend was about to propose to the woman you loved. “It’s just that it really is a big step and you have to be 100% sure of what you’re doing,” he reasoned.

“I know, and I think we’re ready for it,” Tyler said more vehemently.

“Then do it,” the other man said, his lips quivering just a little bit, but not enough for his friend to see. Dylan was expecting, hoping, Tyler to give it up for now. He couldn’t think of a worse timing for that conversation to come up, but it seemed like the latino wasn’t thinking about anything else and had determined to do it right there. Dylan could see it in the way he was walking in circles around the kitchen aisle, running his hands through his hair countless times, his eyes dancing all over the place. He couldn’t be still for a second and although that wasn’t an unusual behavior of his, the mole-covered male knew that this time it meant Tyler was nervous. “Hey, come on,” he took a few steps ahead, standing in front of his friend, one hand in each shoulder. “Chill, man. You wanna do it? Go ahead and do it.”

It felt strange to say those words, because all he wanted was to Tyler let it go and never bring it up again, but he couldn’t say that, he would never say that. And he was devastated only thinking about the outcome of this situation. What would Y/N say? Would she straight out deny his proposal or ask him some time to think about it? She wouldn’t accept it, right? Because it made no sense after all the things they had been through and all the times she confided she wanted to break up with her boyfriend. So, obviously, she wouldn’t accept his proposal, Dylan was certain of it, and it only made everything a hundred times worse, because he was, kind of, leading his best friend on, giving him the confidence to do something that wouldn’t end up good for him. He truly was a piece of shit, a son of bitch of a friend.

And that’s how he found himself face to face with the biggest grin he ever saw coming from Tyler, someone he had spent the last years with for the majority of time and had seen all kinds of his expressions. He could see the man was so enthusiastic that nothing could hold himself back now.

“That’s it,” he said suddenly, all doubt and worry out of his system. “I knew I was right to ask you,” he went on, this time going back to walk in circles around the kitchen, leaving a confused Dylan in place. “Dude, there’s no way of you saying no. I want you to be my best man.”

And just like that, Dylan saw everything go down the drains one more time. His words got caught up in his throat and his expression must have been frozen, because he could see Tyler looking at him with a smile on his face, saying that it was only logical to choose his best friend to one of the most important jobs, and he just smiled. It was no use in trying to say anything at the moment for his brain had decided to leave his head and scream at him for being such an asshole.

And then, as if it wasn’t enough, he realized Tyler was walking out of the kitchen to the backyard, following the steps Y/N had taken just minutes before, his right hand closed around the velvet box and a smile still on his face. In slow motion, Dylan saw everything happening right in front of him, the way Tyler held Y/N is his arms, the words coming out of his mouth, the look of confusion the girl had as she alternated her gaze between Dylan and Tyler, the moments that followed after the latino man had finally popped the question and the way Dylan’s heart shattered the moment he saw the woman that he loved smile and nod, her hand held tight in Tyler’s grasp as he slid the ring down her finger.

In that moment, Dylan realized that whatever he was feeling until that moment, was nothing compared to the ache he had now. It felt like his heart was shallow, broken and shattered into a million pieces. All the pain he thought he had felt in the past was nothing compared to the one he was feeling now and there was no way of it going away. Because even though he should be happy for his best friend, he was losing the only person who could mend him and despite the fact that she was never truly his, it did feel like she was. All the times they had spent together, all the memories they had made for each other, all the laughters and all the plans suddenly seemed so far away, disposable and unrealistic. She was going to marry some other man, that was the only thought going through Dylan’s mind. She had said yes and he couldn’t understand why.

* * *

Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Y/N Y/L/N. Well, to be honest, she wasn’t a little girl anymore and her life didn’t go like one of those fairy tales to start with ‘once upon a time’. It was more like those horror stories that kind of makes you go through hell and back, watching as everything unfolds right in front of your eyes, with no chance of gaining control. It was a day-by-day kind of horror instead of the ones with jump-scares, murderers, sadistic killers and all that. And, to be perfectly fair, she’d like the have the latter any day.

Not a day went by that she didn’t think about the decision she had made, the yes that changed her entire life. Why did she say it, then? That was the question that kept running through her mind ever since that night, ever since she saw the look on Dylan’s face, her stomach dropping at the sight and her heart breaking apart in a matter of seconds. She didn’t want to say yes to Tyler, she didn’t want to break his heart either, but in the end she managed to do the one thing that would truly make her miserable: she lost Dylan.

She was aware of that way before he stopped answering her texts, she knew it from the moment he looked away from the scene unfolding in front of him and took deep breaths, she knew it the moment his voice cracked when he congratulated his best friend and forced himself to give her a quick hug before coming up with an excuse to leave. And every little awaken minute ever since then had been agonizingly painful, with no one to turn to in order to voice any of her worries.

Y/N raised her head and looked in the full-length mirror; she did look like a princess much like the consultant had said she would. Everything helped, from the lights in the ceiling and the way the mirror was positioned in front of her to the lace sweetheart necklace dress. The beaded lace bodice and the matching straps along with the hand beaded belt with alencon lace around the waste and the flowy skirt was perfect, something she could only picture in her dreams. The woman could see it in everyone’s look, how it looked like that dress was designed for her. Her mom couldn’t stop smiling at the sight, same with Holland and Shelley and while she wanted to feel the same way they were, while she knew she looked amazing and wanted that dress to herself, she couldn’t feel the same joy. Because it was the right dress, but it wasn’t the right guy.

“Oh my God,” a voice sounded making Y/N snap her head backwards, her eyes scanning the three faces in front of her trying to figure out who had been the one to disrupt her from her thoughts. “Oh, sweetie, you look so beautiful,” her mother said in a whisper, her eyes tearing up a little bit, her voice stuck in the back of her throat.

“Oh, mom, don’t start crying,” Y/N said, climbing down the stool had been standing while admiring herself in the mirror, her hands reaching out her mom’s hands and giving it a light squeeze. “Come on. It’s just a dress, like any other I have ever been in.” her voice was kind and soothing, a little smile on her face as she tried to talk the older woman out of shedding any tears. She couldn’t have that.

“Only it’s not,” Holland said from her side. “Y/N it’s your  _wedding_  dress. The one you’re going to wear when you walk down the aisle and marry the man of your life. It’s emotional for me, why wouldn’t it be for your mom?”

 _The man of your life._  That four words replayed in her mind, echoing and drowning everything else everyone was saying. She was supposed to marry the man of her life, it had always been her dream ever since she was little girl and Tyler really was one of a kind, the best man anyone could ever want, but the problem was he wasn’t the man  _she_  wanted. It was unfair, because he had been nothing but great to her and yet her stupid heart seemed to pine over someone else, someone who had been by her side all the times her fiancé had been. Her head wanted to scream and force her heart to stop being a little bitch and accept the fact that Dylan was not the one for her, but her heart felt like grabbing her brain and shaking it until it realized that it was Dylan all along, that he was the one supposed to be with her. And it was a almost won battle, because her head seemed to realize that maybe it was the right thing to, but she didn’t have the courage to say it to anyone else.

And that’s what her days had ended up being like: an eternal struggle between reason and emotion, swirling within her being, making her completely dizzy and wanting it all to end. She hated the fact that things couldn’t be easier, she hated the fact that she didn’t love the man who had proposed to her, she hated the fact that she had fallen for his best friend before she had the chance to fall for him and she hated not having the courage to act sooner and prevent herself from being in this situation. But that was in the past now, she resigned with a small sigh. There wasn’t much to be done as she was on verge of buying the dress everyone seemed to have approved of. It was amazing and she loved it, but she wasn’t eager to wear it any time soon.

“You look nervous,” Shelley told her as they walked out of the store, arms linked as they walked down the sidewalk towards Y/N’s car. It was not only the day to choose the dress, but also Tyler’s birthday.

It was like the universe was making her suffer for everything she had done. When the girl had declared she did not want an engagement party, the man had asked her what was wrong with it. Y/N didn’t have a real answer, she just didn’t want to officialize something she wasn’t so sure of, something she wanted to get out of. In her head, the party would make her decision real instead of the dream she hoped she was living. Somehow, she convinced Tyler that it wasn’t necessary, for everyone they really cared about already knew it and he agreed, as long as they could tell everyone else on his birthday party. At the time, it seemed so distant that she didn’t mind, but now, a few hours away from it, the pressure was only adding to the remorse she was feeling. She had made her life so much harder than what it was supposed to be.

“I do?” she asked, trying to buy some time thinking of an excuse. She was never good working under pressure and to have someone caught on how she was really feeling had thrown her façade away. “I mean, I am, but can you blame me?”

Shelley chuckled and shook her head. Of course she was nervous. Everything was changing for her and she was having a very important day. It was ok to feel uneasy and look a little pale. It all made sense, when she thought about it.

“Don’t worry,” Shelley said giving her a nudge. “It’s not like there’s going to be a lot of people you don’t know there. You and Tyler have been together for so long you know everyone attending that party. And they’re going it love it when they hear the news.”

But the brunette hadn’t been entirely right. Of course Y/N knew almost everyone walking around the house, from friends to family, but she was not expecting to see so many people there, everyone wearing smiles on their faces as they congratulated Tyler for his birthday. Their special announcement had yet to be made, but everyone seemed to stop and stare at her with a big smile on their faces, making her wonder how much they knew about it.

Everyone but one certain best man who kept walking around the house and averting his eyes from her whenever she saw him. It was like Dylan was on a mission of ignoring Y/N as best as he could and while she understood why he was doing that, she wanted him to stop, to listen to her and just talk to her again. But it was no use; he was always engaged on a conversation with someone, or dodging her way or even pretending he was on the phone with someone. It was getting a bit ridiculous. How long could they really go before Tyler expected them to sit next to each other and talk? Because they had been friends for years and had always joked around together. Almost the whole night was spent in that way, with her trying to come up with him and Dylan running away from Y/N in the last minute, but one could only hide for so long.

It happened in the kitchen. The same one, three months before, Dylan had been with his arms around Y/N begging her to think about them, the same one he had discovered his best friend was about to propose to her. It seemed a bit ironic, the whiskey-eyed man thought, to be in that place, of all the rooms in the house, where they would talk again for the first time ever since them.

Y/N saw him walking up to the back door, probably to get away from everyone and get some fresh air, so she decided she would follow after, closing the kitchen door on her way. It was the perks of living there: you would declare a room off limits just by walking in and closing the door. Dylan heard the click of the lock and looked around, a deep sigh leaving his mouth as soon as he saw the woman standing a few meters away from him, her arms crossed over her chest, her back leaned against the countertop. She looked angry, but beautiful. It was like each day she looked better than the previous one, making his heart always skip a beat when she was within his reached. He wanted nothing more than to just close the distance between them and take her in his arms one more time, breath in her scent and feel her small hands running up and down his back. He wanted to feel her heart beating against his, their chest raising and falling pressed against one another and the warmath that came from her. But he couldn’t. She had made her choice and he had to respect that.

“You’re ignoring me,” her voice was low, almost too low compared to the sounds going on around the house and, for a moment, Dylan thought he had imagined it, but when he saw her sigh and shake her head, he knew she really had said it.

“No, I’m not,” he countered back, his eyes never meeting hers and choosing to run around the kitchen.

“You never answer my texts, you never pick up when I call, you have been avoiding me the whole night,” Y/N had took a few steps forwards, her heart hammering against her ribcage as she took in the sight of him standing so close to her after all this time. “Don’t tell me you haven’t, Dylan, because we both know it’s a lie.”

Dylan shook his head. What did she want him to say? That it was just him acting silly and that he would stop it right away? He couldn’t keep leading himself on, he couldn’t keep answering any of her texts or calls without admitting to his heart that he had lost her forever. If avoiding her was what it would take to get over her, then he’d do it all over again. Only he knew it was no use. Because Y/N was stubborn and would keep trying to reach him and his stupid heart could never get over her, it was impossible. So he didn’t say anything. He chose to stare back at her and let her take all the conclusions by herself. He wanted Y/N to know everything he was feeling.

And knowing him so for long, she knew exactly what every little expression of his meant; every type of smile, every wince, every look. He was an open book for her and all she could see was pain; pain for not having her anymore, pain for having been left, pain for not knowing what to do, pain for feeling this way. Sorrow flowed through him and it was because of her, because of her actions.

Y/N felt her eyes tingling, the tears threatening to spill any time. She didn’t want him to feel that way, she wanted him to be happy, to hold him tight and tell him everything was going to be alright and even though she shouldn’t be doing that when there was only a wooden door standing between them and the party, she took the final steps towards him, her breath raggedy, and reached out for him, tentatively at first. When she didn’t find any resistance, her arms fully circled around his middle, her head resting on his chest.

Dylan stood still, his arms rigid on his side, his hands balled in fists as he tried not to let himself get lost in the moment. He had missed her so much, missed her touch and the way he towered over her when they stood in that position that he was going through a hard time trying to control himself. He wanted nothing more than just throw precocious away and hug her tight and pretend there wasn’t anything to worry about. He wanted to believe there was nothing stopping them from being together, that it was ok to be that close to someone he loved so much and maybe, just maybe, that was why he felt his arms finally enclose her frame, bringing her even closer to him, the scent of her perfume intoxicating his mind as he closed his eyes and tried to forget about everything. It was ridiculous how a simple hug could make everything feel better, how it felt like they hadn’t been apart at all and how they knew exactly how their bodies worked and fitted.

“I miss you so much,” Y/N mumbled, her voice muffled by his shirt, her hands grasping tightly to his back. “I’m so stupid, Dyl.”

Dylan pulled slightly away from her, a look of adoration on his face as he stared her down, his hands running over her body until they cupped her face. There was so many things he wanted to tell her, how she did what she thought that was the right thing, how she wasn’t stupid at all and that he loved her, but he was overwhelmed by everything, overwhelmed by the thought that he was losing her to his best friend. Instead, he just kept looking at her, his face getting closer to hers, his breath fanning her cheeks. Her eyes searched his, finding nothing but love and, for the first time, she let herself be engulfed in those feelings without being afraid of how to respond. Three months had been too much for her to realize that living in fear of hearing Dylan say those three little words out loud was ridiculous. She loved him, always had.

Their lips met in a shy kiss, testing their boundaries slowly, trying to gain confidence, like remembering doing something you had always done but had stopped. Dylan’s lips enveloped hers, their breath mingling in the silent kitchen, their hands holding one another desperately. It was heaven-like, it was pure bliss, it was like breathing for the first time after drowning the deepest water. There was a force pulling them closer than before, making their stomachs churn and their hearts to beat rapidly, just like kids having their first kiss. It was short lived, though, for not long after they pulled away, their foreheads pressed and their eyes still closed.

“I love you,” she heard Dylan say. “I love you, Y/N, and I’m done pretending I don’t,but you gotta make up your mind.”

The woman nodded, her eyes still closed, her lips still tingling and begging to taste his again.

“I know,” she whispered back. “I know. I’m gonna fix it,” she promised.

And he knew she really was. He knew she was going to get everything right before they could have any kind of relationship. It was going to be hard, it was going to be painful, but it was going to be the two of them in the end.

With a small smile, Dylan kissed her once more, avidly this time, his tongue wasting no time on running along her lips and entering as soon as she gave him permission, exploring and memorizing every little corner of her mouth, claiming dominance over hers as he poured every ounce of his feelings into the kiss. It was everything; it was the love he felt for her, the desire she made him feel, the loss he felt when they had been apart, it was for knowing that no one could stay between them.

“I’m still here,” she mumbled one more time, her words trembling a little bit. “Try to not get used to being alone. I’ll be back, Dyl.”

What they didn’t know, however, was that while no one could stay between them, there was someone who was watching everything, hearing every single word they were saying, seeing every small touch they shared from the outside.

* * *

The party was still going on. There was an edge to the atmosphere ever since Y/N was in the kitchen with Dylan, her senses heightened to every little thing going on around her. It was weird, but it felt like something was off, but Tyler was still the same bubbly man he had been for the entire night and Dylan had gone back to staying away from her, but just for the time being. She had promised him she’d fix everything and soon, because she could no longer live with that.

The announcement of the engagement had already been made and everyone was excited, asking her everything about it, how he had proposed, when they were going to get married, how she was feeling and there was even someone who had asked her if she was pregnant, much to her displeasure. Why did people always seemed to think that someone had to be pregnant to be getting married? Just because they were young?

Completely neglecting that one person, Y/N smiled to everyone else as if she was the happiest person on Earth. Somehow she was, but not for the reasons everyone believed in. Until Shelley came up to her, distress-looking. Her once tidy hair was all over the place and she looked like she had seen a ghost.

“What’s wrong with you?” she asked in concern.

“I need to talk to you in private.”

Nodding, the girl grabbed Shelley’s hand and led her to the upstairs level, her heart skipping a bit in a bad way for what was going on. She had never seen her friend in that state of mind before, her hands running through her hair, her pacing around the room, her mouth opening and closing as if she was trying to say something but didn’t know how to start.

“Is everything ok?” Y/N finally let out, her eyebrows in a frown as she kept watching her friend having a breakdown for some reason she wasn’t aware of.

“I saw something I shouldn’t have and now…” Shelley paused, her eyes finally meeting Y/N’s. “Now I don’t know what to do. I mean, I’m just thinking there should have a logic explanation for it, but nothing comes to my mind. Because it doesn’t make sense, you know? Why would my best friend, who’s engaged to my other friend, be kissing another guy who just happen to be the groom’s best friend? That’s what I can’t figure out, Y/N.”

But the woman had no reaction. She just stood there, sitting on the edge of her bed and staring the wall in front of her, her face blank and her blood cold. Never, in a million years, she would have expected that to come out of Shelley’s mouth. She thought it was something about her, something that had happened to the girl in front of him and not what she did, had been doing. Shelley wasn’t done yet. She kept talking and gesticulating quite a bit, but none of her words entered Y/N’s mind. She was lost in her own thoughts, much too stunned to understand anything or say anything. How could they have been so reckless?

“Y/N, are you even listening to me?”

The words rang loud in her ears, her head snapping back to Shelley in a sudden move, her face pale and her hands shaking. She felt on the verge of throwing up, something she always felt whenever she was too nervous.

“I… I…” she started, her voice trembling, searching for anything to say, but she couldn’t. She couldn’t give it a logical explanation, she couldn’t tell her she was delusional, because she had seen it perfectly clear.

Shelley sighed. She was watching her friend struggle to find anything to say, her eyes tearing up while she tried really hard to think of what to say. One look at her was enough, though.

“Ok,” the older woman said, sitting beside Y/N and taking a few breaths. “Ok, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have just poured it like I did, but I’m extremely confused here. What is going on?”

“There's a lot to cover,” Y/N sighed. “But you gotta let me finish talking before you say anything.”

The brunette just nodded and waited. Of there was an explanation to all of it, then she would listen. And that's what happened for about half an hour. Y/N told her everything how everything haid started, way before they had met, when she found herself in love with Dylan. Told her like she didn’t want to believe and fought the feeling until she realized it was of no use and how, when she finally worked up the courage to say something, Dylan was already with someone else. And that was when Tyler came along, with his adorable persona and sweet talk. She needed to get over Dylan and Tyler was there, flirting with her, teasing her, tempting her and it was nice to know that someone felt something for her. So she gave it a try and gave in to his attempts of going out with him and it felt nice. It felt incredibly good for years, like everything she had gone through before was nothing. Until that drunk mistaken; because it was then that Y/N saw that she had never fully gotten over Dylan. At first, she said it was just the thrill and excitement of doing something wrong, like a charge of adrenaline rushing through her veins. She talked herself to stay out of it, but the more she ignored Dylan and stepped away from him, the more she realized that it was deeper than that, stronger than any casual hookup and that her feelings for Tyler were nothing but a temporary bliss.

It sounded selfish and petty, she was aware of it, but the heart wants what the heart wants. And she tried so many times to just break things off with Tyler, she tried to tell him the truth about it all, but she couldn’t. She loved him - platonically speaking, but she did - and didn’t want to see him get hurt. Now things were more complicated than ever and there was no way of walking out of it without someone ending up hurt. She explained how she caught them when she was telling Dylan that she was going to fix everything, how her heart yearned for him and only him, despite everything, and how she knew he felt the same way. It wouldn’t be fair to keep going with this engagement if she wasn’t happy with her choice. It wouldn’t be fair on Tyler, who had put so much expectations on it, it wouldn’t be fair on Dylan who was waiting for her to finally be his and it wouldn’t be fair to her, who did not want to get married to anyone but Dylan.

Shelley listened to everything quietly, not daring to interrupt her friend as she talked and poured her heart out, trying to hold back the tears that were trying to spill from her eyes. She couldn’t say she agreed to everything, but she had understood. The three of them had been caught up in a mess bigger than themselves, messier than anything they could take care of and while Tyler was, indeed, a great guy, he wouldn’t be the guy for Y/N. If they kept going on, not only two but three people would end up having a miserable life.

“It all makes sense now,” Shelley said. “How you weren’t excited this morning when we were looking for your dress.”

“I was excited,” Y/N countered back.

“No, you weren’t. I know you,” she smiled. “I mean, you were excited for the dress, but not the situation. It was like you wanted to be, so you acted like it, but you weren’t actually feeling it.”

Y/N smiled and shook his head. She didn’t know how she had managed to keep that secret from Shelley for so long. They had been friends for the past five years, sharing the same routine, going out all the time, talking about everything. They knew each other like the back of their hands. How come the girl had never seen something was off?

“You do know you’re going to have to tell him, right?” her voice broke the silence, the walls amplifying them, making Y/N’s heart beat rapidly again. “It’s the right thing to do, Y/N. You have to tell him what happened before you walk out of his life. Tyler deserves it.”

He did. He deserved to know the truth, but she didn’t know how to do it anytime soon. She couldn’t bear to think of his reaction when he heard the words coming out of her mouth, the look he would have on his face as he learned about the double betrayal he had gone through, because it was not only his girlfriend - fiancée now, she had to remind herself - but it was also his best friend, the guy he saw as a brother. It was too much to ask.

“And you need to do it soon, because I don’t want to be blamed for knowing it when this bomb explodes in your face, ok?”

* * *

Time works in mysterious ways, because in a blink of an eye Y/N saw herself sitting across from her mom and some overpaid wedding planner discussing about wedding venues, decorations, cakes and dishes to be served at the reception. Two weeks had gone since Tyler’s birthday, her conversation with Dylan in the kitchen and the talk with Shelley. Two weeks she had been practicing her break-up speech in the mirror, trying to convey the courage to tell everything to everyone, but to no avail.

Shelley seemed the one more aggravated about it, constantly telling her to do it soon, giving her subtle stares when they were together, but nothing had helped Y/N yet, except the fact that, each day, the wedding seemed more and more real. She had to get away from it before she walked down the aisle.

The voice of the woman was going on and on, talking something about an outside wedding being the perfect choice for the summer and how every flower should have to have the perfect shade of white to contrast with the rest of the decoration, or something like that. Y/N couldn’t be sure, because she was bored, she didn’t want anything to do with any of those things. She didn’t want to spend her afternoon listening to things she wouldn’t do. She wanted to work up the courage to get up that chair and drive home, sit down and have a real conversation with Tyler, tell him the truth and beg for his forgiveness. She wanted to go to Dylan and tell him that everything was fine now, that she had finally fixed everything and that they could be together now. She didn’t want it to be too late, though, because the last time that happened, he had already found another girl.

“No!” Y/N said out loud, her hands hitting the table top with somewhat of a force, startling the two women sitting with her, their eyes wide open as they tried to understand what had gone wrong.

“It’s ok,” the planner said. “We can always start all over again and do something more of your like.”

Y/N frowned and looked around, finally realizing she had said it out loud and confused her mom and the other woman and laughed slightly. She had no clue what they had been talking before her sudden reaction, but she didn’t want to listen to it, all she wanted to do was send the worried planner away and rush to her house. The courage, the idea of not having Dylan again, present in every fiber of her being. She wasn’t going to let him go again.

“That’s not it,” she said with a shook of her head. “I’m so sorry for wasting your time, but there isn’t going to be a wedding anymore.”

Both women looked at her like she was crazy. What did she mean by that? They had heard of brides going all kinds of nonsense when planning and everything, but that was new. Y/N’s mom looked at her daughter concerned, her hand reaching out and touching her arm slightly, trying to see if she was ok, and when she looked her daughter in the eyes, she could see nothing but happiness in a way she had never seen before. She was glowing, her lips still pulled in the brightest smile she ever produced and Mrs. Y/L/N knew right then that her daughter had finally made the decision of her life.

“I don’t love him that way, mom,” she confided, low enough for only her mother to hear. She didn’t need anyone speculating about her life.

“I know, sweetie,” was all the older woman said, a smile finally forming on her face as she stared Y/N down. “I know you don’t.”

Y/N was confused. What was she talking about? Her mother had been so excited ever since she introduced Tyler, always talking about him and telling everyone how great he was. How come she wasn’t surprised or disappointed?

“I know it’s the other one for you,” she whispered, her eyes twinkling knowingly. “I see the way you look at him and, between us, I always thought you two had to be together, sweetie, I just wanted you to see that for yourself.”

It was surreal to hear those words coming from her mother. She had never mentioned something of the sorts, not even when Y/N was single. She knew Dylan pretty much, yes, with him always being around, but she never saw what her mom saw: the look of adoration on their eyes whenever they looked at each other, the small gestures, the soft touches, the mutual feeling they shared. It was all there in plain sight for anyone to see, maybe all it took was the vision of a mom.

“Is everything ok?” the wedding planner said, her eyes going from one woman to the other, completely confused.

“I’m sorry,” Y/N started with a small laugh. “It’ Briana, right?” the woman nodded. “I'm so sorry, Briana, for making you have all this work and have you come here. I'm so sorry for your time and I look forward to working with you in the future, but this wedding isn't going to happen anymore.”

And just like that, without having to explain anything to anyone, Y/N leapt out of her chair in a hurry, kissed her mother on the cheek and dashed out of the restaurant, her hands finding her phone expertly, her finger furiously typing away while she made her way to her car.

 **To Dylan: I'm done running away. You know I can't stop thinking about you, I can't stop thinking about seeing you, I can't stop thinking about being with you. I love you! I love you! I'm going home now to talk to Tyler and tell him everything. I love you, Dyl!**  ❤

The way home, however, had never been longer. There was traffic everywhere, way too slow cars driving in front of her and all the lights suddenly turned red. If it had been a few weeks before, she'd take that as I sign that her revelation should worry, but not anymore. She was done waiting, she was done neglecting her happiness. But then, when she finally drove in her garage and walked into her house, it was empty, with no sign of where Tyler could be.

* * *

Tyler had had a fairly good day. He had spent the majority of his Saturday with some friends, joking around drinking, like any other time. Everyone could see how his mood was light and contagious. He was going to get married to the most incredible girl. How could he feel anything but happiness?

But it's funny how things can change in a blink of an eye. The sun was almost setting, all of his friends gone, and he was counting the minutes before Y/N arrived. He wanted to know everything about the meeting with the wedding planner, he wanted to know all of her choices, he wanted to be a part of everything, but a ding resonated in his living room and his hands immediately reached for his phone with no new notification. His eyes, then, caught sight of a shiny device in the couch, lying forgotten where Dylan had been sat and Tyler rolled his eyes at his friend's lack of attention.

He got the phone in his hands and shook his head when he saw picture of him and his sister in the background and smiled, but before he could put it away and grab his car keys to give the phone back, his eyes caught sight of the new text he had received, reading Y/N’s name, curiosity getting the best of him.

But there's a reason for the saying being ‘curiosity killed the cat’ because what he read definitely was something that made him want to die. It just couldn't be it, there had to be some other explanation. Except there wasn't. It was her name, her number, and it was sent to him, because it said their names.

And suddenly a force he didn't know took control of his entire being. His hands were shaking and his heart hammering. He couldn't believe it, he didn't want to believe it. In a blink of an eye, he grabbed his car keys, slammed the front door shut and left, his foot almost flooring the gas pedal as he raced through the streets, focused on what he was going to do when he got to his destination.

Dylan hadn't close the door for long before there was a loud knock on it, like someone had decided to hammer a nail to it in an angry state. It was a weird occurrence, something he would never expect, even less when he opened the door and came face to face with Tyler in a furious state.

“Hey, mate,” he started saying, a smile on his face, but it was short lived. As soon as Tyler saw his friend, he couldn't contain anything he was feeling. The urge to hurt him was stronger than anything else.

That's why Dylan felt a fist connecting to his face in full force, his feet faltering and stumbling backwards, his hand flying to his eye, a burning pain coming from it. Everything happened so fast that he couldn’t stop it and before he knew it, he was pressed against the wall with a black eye and Tyler clutching his t-shirt, his hateful expression visible for anyone to see it.

“What the fuck, Tyler?” Dylan mumbled, his tone out of breath. He had never seen his best friend in that state before.

“You’re a piece of crap,” he rasped, his hands letting go of the mole covered man in front of him, disgusted. “You were supposed to be my best friend and what do you do? You betray me and go after my fiancée?”

Had this conversation happened under different circumstances, Dylan would have been standing there petrified, but the actions prior to Tyler’s rant had been enough to warn him there was something going on. He hated the fact that he had been caught by surprise - and by a flying fist -, but there was nothing he could do anymore except talking to the fuming guy in front of him.

Very slowly, Dylan pushed himself off of the wall, his eye stinging, and made his way towards Tyler, being careful enough to not startle him and end up with another punch to the face. He didn't know what to say, though. He hadn't practiced for any of that, having always thought that whenever Y/N decided to talk to him, she'd give him a heads up so he could come up with something himself. But apparently he had been wrong. Or, judging by the looks of the Latino man, he hasn't given her time to fully explain everything and had started to his house and make justice with his own hands. Dylan knew he deserved every hit coming from him, every venom-like words, every dirty look and murderous stare.

The air around them was thick enough to be felt all the way across the street. Tyler’s breath was coming out in pants, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he tried to control his acts. Did he really need an explanation or could he just hit Dylan until he felt satisfied? Was he able to listen to any words coming out of his mouth? Could he believe anything he said? Those were the questions running through his mind. Not “how could he have done that?” or “how did this happen?”, because it was obvious. It was obvious since day one, when the three of them met on the set and became instant friends. It was obvious from the moment they had decided to make their lives more enjoyable and hang out all the time. It was in plain sight because of the looks Y/N always gave Dylan, not him. And it was obvious that those two could never be just friends. And, to be honest, he had never thought about her in that way, until something kind of clicked inside of him and she was everything he could think of. It was out of nowhere, it was something new, but it was also something that made him feel alive, like she was his vital force. And for some miracle she felt the same way for him, well at least for some time.

It was weird being so close to the one person who could take away his happiness from him and for it to be his best friend was more painful than ever, but he needed to know, he needed to understand what had happened along the way and where everything had gone down the hill.

“She was never mine, was she?” he whispered, his eyes averted to the floor, his fists clenching and unclenching.

Dylan sighed deeply, the sound of his footsteps resonating around the living room as he made his way to the sofa near the opposite wall. How could he even begin to explain that?

“I think she was,” he mumbled. “She really was, man, but I guess you’ll have to talk to her about it and if you want to blame anyone, you can blame me, ok?”

Tyler looked at him, really looked at him, for the first time since he stepped into his house. Dylan looked heartbroken, but maybe not as much as he did. His black eye was a little swollen, his t-shirt was tousled and the man was standing in a defensive position in case anything happened. It barely seemed like the two of them were best friends - or had been. At this point, no one knew for sure.

“When did this happen?” was the only thing Tyler could say in that moment.

Dylan looked at him as if answering anything was too painful for him. How could he say that it had been going on for the past year? That ever since his birthday last year it was a recurrent affair? How could he look in the eyes of the man he loved like a brother and tell him he had been betraying his trust, betraying their friendship, for a whole year?

“You owe me at least that, Dylan.”

The older man shook his head, his lips quivering as he tried to force himself to say something. “Last year, on my birthday party.”

Tyler had no reaction but laughter. He let out a loud, bitter sound to echo around the living room, the laugh only increasing as he thought about it. Out of all the chances, all the times they had been alone, they had decided the first one to be on his birthday, the only time he had been around. How could he have been so oblivious to that? How could he not see them being gone for way too long?

And as if everything worked against this moment, a loud thunder cracked illuminating the house around them, both men completely still as they looked at each other. Both had a pure heart break look on their faces.

“I’m so sorry,” the plea was barely audible. Dylan didn’t know what else to say, all he knew was that he didn’t want to lose his best friend. Yes, he had been an incredibly shitty friend and she should’ve never had done what he did, but he loved Y/N. Loved her enough to go against Tyler, to put himself in that position and loved her enough to fight for her. He just didn’t realize that, in the midst of it all, he would end up losing someone else.

“Don’t,” Tyler said, his feet already leading him out of the door. “Don’t even try to ask me for forgiveness, man,” his eyes were somber, his fingers trembling. “I trusted you, ok? I trusted you and how you repay me? By sleeping with my fucking girlfriend!” he bellowed. There was no restraints now, no pulling himself back. He was shaking from anger and he wanted to get away from Dylan as soon as possible, but first he had to say everything he was thinking. “And I knew she had a thing for you years ago and I saw how you looked at her differently, but then, one day, you just showed up with a girlfriend and I fucking saw how you crumbled her world, how she was so devastated and I was there for her, ok? I have been there for Y/N through it all and that’s when I realized ‘shit, I like her. I like this amazingly funny girl.’ And that’s how you win the girl, Dylan. You don’t steal her from someone else, someone you call best friend. That’s just too low and something I didn’t expect from you.” his head shook from one side to the other, his voice getting caught on his throat. “And I know you’re not the only one to blame, because it takes two.”

There was nothing else Dylan could say. He watched as his friend walked over to his front door, his hand reaching inside his pocket and pulling out a black device before slamming it hard against the wall. The door shook when it closed, Dylan looking at the way Tyler had gone through, his brain not reacting to anything, numbness overtaking him.

* * *

The rain was pouring down heavily, thunders cracking every now and then, the house in complete silence and darkness. Y/N hadn’t been able to find Tyler anywhere. She had tried calling him several times, but she only reached his voicemail, making her worried. He was supposed to be home after a day with his friends. Where the hell could he have gone to? Had they decided to hit a pub or something without telling her and then ended up held back there because of the downpour?

Oh, it was just great. On the day she finally decided to talk to him and tell everything, he wasn’t around and wouldn’t be for a little while. When she was about to push down the sense of urgency that had washed over her, the front door slammed open hitting the wall with full force and in came a very pissed and soaked Tyler Posey, his hair covering his forehead, shading his eyes from her view. He was trembling and she mistook it for cold, her worried self getting up hurriedly and rushing towards him, her eyes searching for something to get him warmer.

“Where have you been?” her voice had showed nothing but concern. He was so wet the floor was turning into a puddle. “I’m going to get you a towel.”

He had said nothing, done nothing. He just stood there, letting the water trickle down his body into the floor, not caring about anything. He didn’t see when Y/N came back nor when she secluded a towel around his shoulders, her hands smoothly running down his back in order to get some heat across his body. It was only when he felt her hands reach the hem of his shirt that he woke up from whatever daze he was in, his hands holding hers tightly in place, stopping her from moving the wet fabric any inch.

“Just stop,” he said shoving her arms side, his hand running through his hair, his feet squeaking as he walked further into the house.

Y/N looked at him confused. What had happened to make him treat her like that? It wasn’t rough, but it was inconsiderate, something Tyler had never been towards her. She could see his cold stares now, the way he flinched when she tried to help him, the way his body was turned away from hers as he walked to the upstairs level of the house, a path of water following him. All his behavior hadn’t been enough to keep her away, though. He was clearly bothered about something and she wanted to know what it was and if there was something she could do to make it better. Of course, it would be weird to have a certain conversation afterwards, but it was the way things were supposed to be.

The door to their bedroom had been slammed closed, Y/N’s face scrunching up when she tried to open it and found it locked.

“Seriously, Ty? You’re locking me out?” she laughed. “It’s not like I haven’t seen with no clothes on.”

There were hurriedly steps towards the door, the key on the lock turning forcefully and a very angry Tyler came face to face with her, his expression hidden of any kind of softness.

“Funny of you to say that,” he started, his hands gripping the wood tightly. “Very funny of you to say that, Y/N, when clearly I’m not the only one you have seen that way for the past year, huh?”

Y/N was sure she was dead. She felt her whole body become weaker and her soul leave her body in a fluid movement. She was so taken aback from the sudden revelation that all she could think was that she had finally died. Her ears were buzzing and everything else he was saying was muffled. She couldn’t understand a single word coming out of Tyler’s, but she could see the way he was looking at her, a mix between fury and disappointment, hurt and betrayal.

“I… I can explain,” she heard herself saying, the words escaping her before she could do anything about it. She  _could_  explain, but it wasn’t how she wanted to have this conversation, it wasn’t how she expected anything to go.

“Oh, explain. Please do because I have been busting my ass out trying to understand why it all happened. Was it because one wasn’t enough for you? Or maybe because  _I_  wasn’t enough, huh?”

She had never heard him like that. His tone was drenched in sarcasm, his gestures clearly meaning he wanted her to be as far away from him as possible and yet he was there, begging her to tell him why she had ripped his heart out of his chest and stabbed it so many times.

It was finally time, she thought to herself. Time to tell him everything, time to let herself explain why she had been so selfish and hadn’t thought about his feelings at all. It was going to be harder than planned, it was going to be tearful, but it had to be done. She couldn’t let them end in worse term than they already were. And with a deep sigh, pushing down the lump that had formed in her throat and holding back all the tears, she told him a story. She told him the story of a small town girl who moved to the big city in order to follow her dreams and fell in love. Only she fell in love with the boy who already had a boyfriend. And while she tried to move on from him, she found herself falling for his best friend, someone she thought she would never see as more than her friend. And they lived happily ever after for as long as their love lasted, but she had realized she was only fooling herself, because she wasn’t over the other guy yet, nor would ever be. And, for some miracle, he had fallen for her as well, after all this time. She told him of the mistake she made, the fear she felt whenever thinking about telling her boyfriend what she had done. She loved him, she did, not in the way she once thought she did, but she loved him enough to not want him hurt, but her lies only made everything worse.

And that was how the story ended, with both of them standing in a cold hallway, hatred coming from the boy and nothing but sorrow coming from the girl. She knew she was the wrong one, but she wanted him to know that despite all the pain she had put him through, she wanted him to be happy. It was funny, because even if he thought he would, he could never be fully happy by her side, because his true love, the one who was really meant to him, was still out there. It pained her to say it, but she wanted him to understand that he was going to be happy, but only not with her, oh and how did she hope he could forgive her one day.

That was her deepest wish and thought as she made her way out of the house, Tyler looking her walk away from his life with nothing but pain. Pain for being led on by himself, for believing that he was going to marry that girl one day, pain for not being smart enough to see that something was going on under his nose, pain for not being able to feel anything else but a void when she revved out of the garage and finally disappeared from his sight.

Y/N on the other hand, was feeling everything, the tears falling down his eyes with no mercy as she tried to find her way around the city, the rain still falling, only softer now. She knew someone was going to end up hurt, but she had made her final decision. She loved Dylan and that’s what she was going to do: love him to the end of her days. Only thinking about it made her heart beat fastly, a warm feeling spreading through it when she finally turned into his street, the car stopping in front of his house. The moment she walked through his door, her eyes neglecting anything but him, it was like she felt a whole new wave of excitement rushing through her veins; she was home.

The sound of someone entering his living room made Dylan walk out of kitchen in alert, a big ice pack clutched to his eyes, his stance prepared for a fight, but when he saw it was Y/N, he sighed, a smile reaching his lips as she made her way to him, her hands cupping his face as his snaked around her waist, pulling her so close to him she couldn’t get away. And just like that, as if nothing had ever happened to them, as if they were just lovers seeing each other after a long time, their lips met in a hushed kiss, their breath mingled. It was intense and short, but conveying everything they felt for each other. It was like a sigh of relief for finally being, a promise of never going away again. And when they pulled away, their foreheads leaning against one another, Dylan pecked her lips one more time, a smile adorning her face at the tender gesture.

“What happened?” she asked, her eyes finally seeing the dark mark on his face, her finger tentatively reaching for it, causing him to flinch in pain. “Dyl, what happened?”

Dylan shook his head. It wasn’t important anymore, it wasn’t worth making her worried about his eye or his broken phone lying on the coffee table with her message read. He knew now it was it that made Tyler drive to his house and punch him and he took it, because it meant she had finally made her decision before everything happened and that’s what mattered.

* * *

There’s an infinity of moments that can change someone’s life drastically, every little detail sending you through a course of unfolded paths that leads into the unknown. It’s a thrill, it’s exciting, it’s scaring, but it’s worth when you know there’s someone there to hold your hand when you feel like the fear has overtaken your whole body. Everything seemed so much better, so much clearly than the chaotic year before that one and life seemed to be going back to its drama-free way.

Y/N couldn’t believe she was walking down the beach, her hand firmly grasping Dylan’s as they laughed at a joke Shelley had just told them.

“Are you serious right now?” Dylan said shaking his head. “I mean, this must be the third time you tell this joke.”

“You’re just bitter ‘cause you didn’t understand it at first,” the brunette shot back, her eyes rolling as she stared at the man beside her. “Tell me, Y/N, how come you fell for this one out of all the people in the world?”

Y/N laughed softly, her eyes turning to her boyfriend, his carefree expression, warm, kind eyes, his chocolate messed up hair and all the little dos covering his skin. She couldn’t tell what it was, if there was something specific. It was the whole thing: the butterflies he caused on her stomach when he kissed her cheek, the way he looked at her when she was talking, the tender touches they shared, the deep conversations they had, the silly conversations, the lazy days spent on bed, the busy days they only had time to text, the way she always held her hand, the way he kissed her, slowly at first, growing hotter and rushed before they knew it, the way he made her feel altogether.

“I see,” Shelley said before rolling her eyes jokingly. “The heart eyes are all over the place and before you two start sucking each other’s faces off, I’m going back to the hotel and kicking Tyler out of the room. See ya later.”

And just like that she was gone, like she wasn’t there at all, something completely uncharacteristic of her.

Dylan stopped walking, his head turning to the horizon, appreciating the view. Time works in mysterious ways. One minute you’re sitting back home and thinking about all the shit that is going through your life and the next you’re standing next to the person you love with an amazing view surrounding the both of you, nothing but pure blissful expressions on your faces. And everything was perfect just like that.

Y/N sighed and yanked Dylan’s arm. They had been slow walking for the whole morning and she wanted to get back to the hotel to get ready for lunch. Did he really have to stop when they were in front of the building.

“Dyyyyl…” she dragged out, her head tilting back. “Come on.”

But he didn’t budge. Dylan laughed quietly at the girl as his hand tugged hers, pulling her closer to him, his left arm circling around her shoulders, his lips touching her temple in a sweet gesture, a smile surging on her lips almost instantly. It were moments like these that made both of them realize how lucky they had been for founding each other.

“We have pretty much time to spare,” he told her. “I wanna enjoy it with you and only you.”

“How come you’re wearing a t-shirt?” she asked out of nowhere, her eyes rolling. “For fuck’s sake, Dylan, we’re at the beach.”

“Oh,” he chuckled. “Now, I wouldn’t have to worry about it if a certain someone hadn’t left some mean scratches on my back, am I right?”

And it wasn’t because no one was supposed to know they were together. Fuck, everyone knew how they were head over heels for each other, how they weren’t able to be apart for more than a few moments and if work came in the way, they always came up with something to fix that. It was hard, but they were managing it pretty fine and neither couldn’t be any happier.

“Well, that’s entirely your fault,” she shrugged. “I mean…” she trailed off looking at him meaningfully.

Dylan laughed harder this time, his arms fully snaking around her waist, positioning the girl in front of him, her chest pressed against his as his laugh vibrated through their bodies.

Y/N stared up at him, his thin kissable lips, his beautiful face, his whiskey-colored eyes hidden behind the sunglass and his t-shirt covered torso.

Her prince charming hadn't come in a shining armor nor mounted on a white horse; he had appeared in her life slowly and tentatively, but always being by her side. He didn't know he was the prince, not suspected she'd want him even if he was the servant. And Y/N didn't realize it was him until it was almost too late.

They had their problems and obstacles were fought to get to where they wanted, but nothing would change that. No one could stand between them.

And so, the unknowingly prince finally got his princess and she couldn't he happier to have him in her life for good. No shining armor, no white horses, no tall towers or dragons to be slayed, but a simple happily ever after, for it had always been him.


End file.
